Starting Your Business

The U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor jointly announced a new website to support state workforce and unemployment agencies in implementing or enhancing Self-Employment Assistance programs. Today’s announcement expands on guidance issued in May, which included $35 million in funding for states to implement or expand these programs made possible through the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

“Our job at the SBA is to provide access and opportunity to entrepreneurs who want to start, grow or expand their business,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. “For entrepreneurs who find themselves unemployed, the SEA website and toolkit will help them turn small business ownership into a reality and possibly put others back to work at the same time – a win-win scenario.”

Being your own boss can be rewarding, but it certainly isn’t for everyone. Sure, to some degree, you have more freedoms working for yourself than you do working for someone else. But often new entrepreneurs find that the workload and the stress of having to continually perform to keep their young business viable can be too much for them.

It's true that, statistically in the U.S., more new businesses fail than succeed. You shouldn't let that discourage you but if you're thinking about starting your own business, there are some important things you should think about before making your decision.

Essential Reading

The entrepreneurial spirit is what drives this country. In fact, small businesses and start-ups are responsible for creating two out of every three new jobs in the United States. And more than half of all working Americans own or work for a small business. That’s why helping to create an environment where more businesses are easily able to start and succeed has been an important goal for this administration. » Read More